Islanders’ Barzal joins elite company with 50th point of rookie season

It's not every day you're mentioned among the greats.

By recording his 50th point of the season Monday, New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal became just the fourth player in the last 20 years to reach that total in the first 50 games of a rookie season.

Barzal joined Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin:

Season Player Games to reach 50 Points Points through 50 games
2005-06 Crosby 45 58
2005-06 Ovechkin 41 65
2006-07 Malkin 42 59
2017-18 Barzal 49 -

Monday's contest against the Arizona Coyotes marked the 49th game this season for Barzal, and he'll play No. 50 on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights.

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Avalanche extend winning streak to 10 with defeat of Maple Leafs

The Colorado Avalanche beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Monday to extend their league-best winning streak to 10 games.

Jonathan Bernier got the win for the Avalanche, turning aside 29 shots in his first game at Air Canada Centre since being traded away by the Maple Leafs in July 2016.

The victory continued a turnaround season for the Avalanche - who finished with a league-worst 48 points a year ago - as they currently hold the second wild-card spot in the West with 57 points.

Colorado will look to extend its streak Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens.

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Watch: Matthews channels referee in celebration after earlier goal disallowed

Auston Matthews wanted everyone to know this one counted.

The Toronto Maple Leafs star pointed emphatically to signal a goal after scoring to give his team a 2-1 lead over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.

Minutes earlier, Matthews had had a goal taken away upon review, when it was deemed he interfered with Avalanche goaltender Jonathan Bernier.

The goal that counted was Matthews' 21st of the season.

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Maple Leafs add Rielly to injured reserve with upper-body injury

The Toronto Maple Leafs could be without Morgan Rielly for at least the next three games, as the defenseman was placed on the injured reserve Monday.

Rielly missed Saturday's contest against the rival Ottawa Senators, and he'll also be sidelined for upcoming contests against Colorado, Chicago, and Dallas. The three games will be followed by a five-day break for the All-Star Game.

Players must remain on the injured reserve for a minimum of seven days, meaning Rielly could return as soon as Jan. 31, versus the New York Islanders.

It's a key loss for the Maple Leafs, as the team relies on Rielly for more than 22 minutes a game. Through 47 games, he has five goals and 26 assists.

In Rielly's place, blue-liner Rinat Valiev has been recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

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2 new events, other tweaks coming to All-Star Skills Competition

The NHL's annual display of skill will look a little different this time around.

Several changes are on tap for Saturday's All-Star Skill Competition in Tampa Bay.

There will be six events during the skills portion of the All-Star festivities, including two new ones. Here are the descriptions from the league:

Save Streak

"Five goalies and all 36 skaters will participate in the NHL Save Streak, a shootout grouped by division where goalies compete to make the most consecutive saves. Each goalie will face one opposing division and a minimum of nine scoring attempts.

"Each scoring attempt is officiated in accordance with NHL shootout rules and begins on the referee’s whistle. Players from each division will shoot in numerical order, lowest to highest, with the divisional captain shooting ninth. A goalie’s round at the NHL Save Streak cannot end with a save - if the divisional captain’s shot is saved, the goalie will continue to face shooters until a goal is scored.

"If the goalie makes a save on the divisional captain’s shot, the order of shooters to follow is the same as at the original order. The goalie with the longest consecutive save streak during his time in net is the winner of the NHL Save Streak. If there is a tie for longest consecutive save streak, the goalie with the highest total saves made during his round will be crowned the winner."

Passing Challenge

"Eight players will compete in the NHL Passing Challenge, which consists of three skills over one round, including (1) Target Passing, where each player must complete four successful passes to targets that light up in a random sequence; (2) Give and Go, where each player must successfully complete the four required passes through a course set up in the neutral zone; and (3) Mini Nets, where each player must complete one pass over a barricade and into each of four mini nets, as well as an additional pass into the game net.

"Each skill must be completed before a player moves on to the next. The referee’s whistle signals completion of each skill. The player to complete all three skills in the fastest time is deemed the winner of the NHL Passing Challenge, and if there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner."

Other changes

Back this year are the hardest shot, fastest skater, accuracy shooting, and a relay event, but the latter two contests will be slightly altered:

  • In the accuracy event, the targets will now light up randomly for three seconds at a time and players will be required to hit the lit up target before it turns off.
  • Targets that are hit will be removed from the random sequencing, and the player that hits all five targets in the fastest time will be declared the winner.
  • The Puck Control Relay (formerly the "Skills Challenge Relay") will feature eight players competing in three different activities: stickhandling, cone control, and gates, the latter of which will involve either shooting or guiding a puck through the lit rung of the gate.
  • That event will no longer include the goalie goals stage.

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Bruins’ McAvoy undergoes procedure to treat abnormal heart rhythm

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy underwent an ablation procedure Monday following a diagnosis of an abnormal heart rhythm.

McAvoy first experienced heart palpitations during a Nov. 26 contest against the Edmonton Oilers. He informed team doctors after the game, at which point he was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia.

While SVT can recur at any time and cause significant symptoms, it is not considered dangerous. McAvoy opted for an ablation given the high chance of recurrence. He is expected to recover in two weeks.

The rookie blue-liner has been one of Boston's most impressive performers this season, as he's tallied five goals and 20 assists through 45 appearances.

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From buyers to sellers: 4 players Senators should move before deadline

When Ottawa acquired forward Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche as the key part of a three-way deal on Nov. 5, most expected a Senators team that was only one goal away from the 2017 Stanley Cup Final to make a serious run in the postseason again.

Unfortunately for Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion, his big splash in the trade market hasn't translated into success in the standings, as the Senators have gone 9-17-4 since dealing for Duchene.

And just like that, Ottawa has gone from a legitimate playoff contender to a team that should be sellers come NHL trade deadline day on Feb. 26.

Take a look at five players Dorion should move before the deadline in order to salvage the dumpster fire that has become his club's season:

Derick Brassard

The Senators are loaded up the middle with talented prospects that include the likes of Drake Batherson, Logan Brown, and Alex Formenton. Mix in the upside of current NHLers Filip Chlapik and Colin White, and Brassard's skill set could be deemed expendable by the Senators' front office.

More importantly, Brassard should fetch a decent return, as the rugged 30-year-old pivot still has plenty left in the tank and can chip in offensively.

Through 44 games this season for Guy Boucher's club, Brassard owns decent numbers, racking up 12 goals and 16 assists to go along with a solid Corsi For rating of 52.1 in just over 18 minutes of ice time per night.

Brassard might not be the 50-plus-point man he was a few seasons ago for the New York Rangers, but his value should still secure a solid prospect or draft pick that would serve the Senators well going forward.

Mike Hoffman

Quite obviously the biggest name on this list, Hoffman could be the ideal player to kick-start a partial rebuild in O-Town.

Of course, it should be noted that the potential return on Hoffman could be at an all-time low due to his struggles this season (on pace for only 22 goals), but that doesn't change the fact that many GMs around the league would take a long, hard look at adding the perennial 25-goal threat.

Hoffman, 28, has recently been bandied about in trade rumors, but the talented winger's remaining two-year salary at a hefty $5.1 million per year might deter some potential suitors from pulling the trigger.

Regardless, Hoffman doesn't seem to be a player currently in Ottawa's long-term plans, so cutting ties with him now while he still has value seems like an option Dorion would be wise to pursue.

Mike Condon

Condon is another under-performing player this season that would still secure the Senators a respectable return in terms of picks and prospects, as the need for quality backup goaltenders is seemingly at an all-time high.

Sure, some would say that losing a serviceable backup in Condon wouldn't be a good look, but with Ottawa losing games this season at an alarming rate, it might be wise to auction off the veteran backup while he's still in relatively high demand.

Across 15 games this campaign, Condon has posted a 3-5-4 record and .894 save percentage - hardly numbers that you'd expect opposing teams to be attracted to. However, when you factor in the 39 wins and six shutouts he posted over the two seasons previous, Condon might just be another perfect piece to ship out to set the Sens on the right path for next season.

Ryan Dzingel

Currently on pace for his highest goal (24) and point total (35) of his short career, Dzingel's trade value has never been higher. Sprinkle in the fact that the speedy forward can play both wings, and his attractiveness as a trade chip grows exponentially.

The slick-skating American is in only his second full season with the Senators, and at only 25 years young his best hockey is still in front of him.

Dzingel also has another year of control to entice a potential trade partner, as the talented winger is under contract for one more season at a very reasonable price of $1.8 million per season.

His age and offensive upside might be enough for Dorion to want to hang on to. But given the nosedive that Ottawa has been on this campaign, don't be shocked if Dzingel - along with a few others - gets shipped out of town before Feb. 26.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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Report: ‘Mighty Ducks’ TV series in early development

A television series based on the "The Mighty Ducks" franchise is reportedly in the works.

ABC Signature Studios put the project in early development after being approached by the screenwriter and producer of the original trilogy, Steven Brill and Jordan Kerner, according to Lesley Goldberg of The Hollywood Reporter. Brill will reportedly write the script in-house for ABC Signature, and if it's well received, it will be shopped to cable networks and streaming platforms later this year.

Goldberg notes that it's unclear whether the series would be a sequel or a reboot.

Released in 1992, "The Mighty Ducks" grossed $50.7 million domestically at the box office and spawned two sequels - 1994's "D2: The Mighty Ducks" and 1996's "D3: The Mighty Ducks" - along with a 26-episode animated TV series that originally aired on ABC.

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Marc Savard officially announces retirement

Years after his last NHL game, Marc Savard has officially announced his retirement after 13 seasons and 807 games.

The 40-year-old last played for the Boston Bruins back in 2010-11, when concussion-related issues sidelined him indefinitely. His final contract - which later became property of the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils - expired last summer.

Here's what Savard posted on Twitter in regards to the announcement:

Drafted 91st overall by the New York Rangers in 1995, Savard recorded 207 goals and 499 assists with the Blushirts, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and Bruins.

Sidelined by a concussion in 2010, he returned during the playoffs and scored a memorable overtime goal for the Bruins.

Savard's name is on the Stanley Cup after appearing in 25 game for the Bruins in 2010-11, a season that culminated in a championship series win over Vancouver.

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